


Jason Todd, Stealthy Big Brother

by CloakedSparrow



Series: Collected Bat-Family Stories [9]
Category: Bat Family (DCU), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Gen, Jason-Centric, No Romance, No Sex, Protective Jason, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-09 02:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11095302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloakedSparrow/pseuds/CloakedSparrow
Summary: Jason Todd doesn't do the big brother thing. Except that sometimes, he does. He just doesn't let anyone know. Unsurprisingly, Tim and Cassandra figure it out anyway.





	Jason Todd, Stealthy Big Brother

Jason doesn’t really do the big brother thing. Why should he? He’s crap at it. He’s literally beaten his little brother nearly to death and that’s about as piss-poor a job one can do at being a big brother. He can count the number of conversations he’s had with Cassandra on one hand.

Tim would probably feel safer with one of Gotham’s crooked cops watching his back and Cassandra doesn’t really need anyone watching out for her. Besides, they have each other. And Dick.

Dick is awesome at the whole big brother thing. He looks out for his siblings without making them feel overprotected or smothered. He gives advice without sounding like he’s lecturing his siblings or speaking down to them. He sets a good example for his siblings without making them feel inferior. He explains things with patience and listens with a gentle smile. He tells stories that make Cassandra laugh and gives Tim little half-hugs that relieve some of the tension in his shoulders, if only for a little while.

So, if anyone were to ask, Jason would just explain that its better he leave all that fraternal devotion to Dick.

Only, sometimes, he _doesn’t_. He just doesn’t let anyone else in the family know.

Like the time he noticed Tim and Cassandra were on edge at one of those swanky galas Bruce occasionally made them attend (Jason sneaked in) after a rough couple nights on patrol. When a sleazy business man made a joke about not being able to recall Tim’s name because he was ‘just the latest of Wayne’s orphans’, his sister practically growled and his little brother looked as if he’d been struck. Jason wanted to punch the asshole, but that would be too obvious ~~and possibly a little hypocritical~~. So Jason shifted close enough that Tim and Cassandra would hear him but without being in their line of sight. He spoke loudly enough for them and the asshole to hear.

“There are those who call him…Tim.”

He’d noticed Cassandra and Tim had recently discovered Monty Python and sure enough, Cassandra laughed outright at the reference while Tim hid a little smile as he took a sip of his sparkling cider. The reference went right over the asshole’s head but a couple of the other people nearby seemed to get it. It definitely ensured that they remembered Tim’s name the next time.

Another time, Jason had been on his way back home from handling some business in his territory when he’d spotted Tim, in his Robin uniform, catnapping on a hard to reach rooftop. He knew the kid didn’t get enough sleep so he didn’t want to wake him. Instead, he waited on a nearby rooftop where he could quickly take out anyone who might come along to threaten his brother or drop down out of sight when Tim awoke.

Once, he’d seen Cassandra walking down a somewhat busy street at night. She was in civvies and clearly trying to navigate the city without using the rooftops or grappling hooks she normally would. Jason didn’t offer to help or even get close enough for Cassandra to see him, but he followed her and occasionally made a sound or paid a street kid to draw her attention toward the direction she needed whenever she looked frustrated. He didn’t leave until she made it to the diner where she was meeting her friend.

Actually, he didn’t leave until he saw her inside with Stephanie. He knew those two together would be fine.

There was also an incident where Jason had spotted Robin and Batgirl ditching their motorcycles in an alley in order to pursue some of The Penguin’s goons down to the sewers. He knew the area was full of thieves who would gladly strip even a known hero’s vehicle for a few bucks from the chop shop (he’d been such a thief, once). He waited near the bikes, effectively scaring off anyone who might have tried to mess with them.

He knew Tim and Cassandra would have been able to get home on their own either way. He knew they could have repaired any damage done to their bikes themselves. He knew they could suck up one asshole’s cruel comment. He knew they could take care of themselves.

That didn’t mean he thought they should have to.

One thing all of the Wayne siblings had in common was that they’d all had no one at one point. Even if that wasn’t true in the most technical sense, they’d known it. They’d _felt_ how alone they were in the world. Jason understood that.

He wanted to make sure his little brother and sister never felt that way again.

Better than anyone, he also understood the dangers Tim and Cassandra faced as part of the Bat Family. He didn’t want them to face that alone either, even if they didn’t realize who was watching out for them.

And they would figure out that someone had helped them sometimes. They were smart, observant kids. They had to be to do what they did and to do it so well. They knew they weren’t just lucky. They just weren’t likely to think of Jason when they considered who had been watching their backs.

At least, he thought they wouldn’t.

But then one day, Jason needed to stop by the cave to ‘borrow’ some chemicals he knew Bruce kept on hand. On his way, he’d passed Cassandra, who was working her way through a copy of a big print version of Grimm’s Fairy Tales that Jason had left in her batlocker (without a note).

Without any ado, Cassandra lifted the book slightly and said “Thanks. I like it.” Before returning her focus to the story she was reading.

Jason didn’t say anything, but he left a copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in her batlocker the next time he was there.

A couple months later, Jason found himself on the wrong side of an ambush when Black Mask decided to make yet another bid for his territory. Jason was holding his own, but he had to admit the fight could have gone either way. That was, until Robin dropped out of nowhere and Black Mask’s men suddenly found themselves surrounded. (Well, by two kids, but they were Batkids who were trained by Batman, Lady Shiva and The League of Shadows, so the odds were close enough to even).

When they were watching from a nearby roof as the police gathered all the men they’d left incapacitated, Jason figured he should say something to Tim, only he wasn’t sure what. The boy had no reason to get involved in the fight; he’d likely get an earful from Bruce for it later and he’d definitely received some bruised (if not cracked) ribs for his trouble. Before Jason could work out what to say, Tim spoke up.

“Don’t worry about it. You’d have done the same.”

Jason certainly would have, he just hadn’t realized that Tim knew that.

Tim left without another word and they never talked about it, but the next time Jason found Tim napping on a rooftop, he moved to wait next him instead of watching over from a distance. Tim woke enough to register who was approaching him (Jason expected no less) but simply rested his head against Jason’s bicep once he’d settled and went back to napping.

As far as the rest of the Bat Family and their associates were concerned, Jason still wasn’t a very good big brother. No one ever saw him talking to his siblings or helping them out like Dick did. He didn’t offer advice or listen to their troubles.

Tim and Cassandra knew they could count on him though, when it came down to it. They knew there was one more person out there who thought of them and cared about them. And they recognized all the little ways he showed it.

So Jason didn’t do the big brother thing, not the way Dick did, not the way others thought he should. It didn’t matter. He had a little brother and sister who thought of him, and cared about him and who would be there if he needed.

He figured he was doing something right.

If he ever asked (not that he would), Tim and Cassandra would agree.


End file.
